


why did you stay?

by chaeternum



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: But without smut, Fluff, M/M, hints of sex, you know what happened there without open description
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:08:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24649240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaeternum/pseuds/chaeternum
Summary: trying to forget his ex-boyfriend Jaemin gets involved in a relationship with the heartbreaker Lee Jeno (who changes partners like socks).however, after a month, six months and even a year, jeno stays with him. why?
Relationships: Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Kudos: 55





	why did you stay?

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [почему ты остался?](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/631672) by aeternum. 



> hello!! i’m not a native, so sorry for all mistakes and wrong times✌🏻
> 
> i wrote it very long ago, but just now challenged myself and translated into english. also the idea of this i had read in twt, but i don’t remember where and by who. so if you are the author of this pls contact me in cc|twt and i will put a link!
> 
> work is without smut, but with pretty obvious hints to it. and remember oral sex are not safe without condom too.
> 
> https://curiouscat.me/themotherofcat
> 
> p.s. I still learning how this web-monster works ahhh

They say Jeno is the easy prey.

Not because he is easy to seduce. Another point: he is easy to talk, have fun and, in the end of the day, catch red-handed his palm in someone’s underwear. It’s not a big deal for him, just little night adventure in honor of an ordinary party.

Does Jeno carefully choose his partners? Barely. And that’s why he is the easy prey. Nice talk and attention toward him and your goal for tonight determined. He was a pretty lovable person despite this is no one have been with him for more than a month. Even these relationships could be just occurrences, like when a girl changes her hairstyle, and Jeno forgot that he has had fun with her earlier.

Renjun has called him a fuckboy.

“He is pretty, rich, and charming. Pull your leg, gives cute gifts, fucks and then broke up with you ”, - Jun grumbles someday.

“You just angry, ‘cos you are the one from not so many he doesn't want fuck to”, - scoffs Donghyuck.

Renjun give him a smoldering eye.

But that was pretty odd. Jeno prefers boys like Renjun: pretty, popular, and don’t want a serious relationship. Just one-night stand. Take a sip, that’s the offer of the main heartthrob of the university.

Maybe Jaemin’s plan was bad. Terrible bad if to be honest, but heartache so much, that even the craziest idea - what looked like it's pretty good - was able to calm down the fire inside.

“Just hook up with someone and you immediately forget about Jungwoo”, - Hyuck tells him at one of the parties.

“Never bring up this name”, - remarks Jaemin and shakes his head. “If it would be so easy. I can’t went to the person I met for the first time and just said ‘let’s fuck. Just once!’”

Donghyuck give him a tongue-in-cheek glance.

“As if Lee Jeno does not exist in the world”, he smiled and point finger forward.

In the corner, famous heartthrob wine and dine some cute freshman. Not very vigorously, he is just smiling and keep up a nice talk. Jeno no need to try, he is good by himself. That’s enough.

“He’s taken for tonight”, - exhale Jaemin, but it just gives him ease, that Donghyuck plan is ruined.

“I don’t think so”, the boy said, kicking him in the ribs. “Seems like older girls know Jeno’s reputation”.

Jaemin looks up and see how seniors surround Jeno’s arm candy, holding her shoulders protectively. Lee just shrugs and nods with understanding, backing away.

“That’s your chance”, force hand Donghyuck.

Legs carry him themselves to fuckboy. Or it’s alcohol, but at this moment it doesn’t matter. He had a goal and he saw how it can be solved. That’s enough.

“Hey”, - Na smiling shyly, where he leans. The place, where freshman girl have stood just a minute ago.

“Hey”, - genially responded Jeno, looking at newcomers. – Oh? Oi, Jaemin.

Na raise eyebrow surprised by the greeting. And then he remember how they met in the first year. Jaemin was the one who turned down Jeno. He was with Jungwoo at that moment… what is not important right now.

For real it was very important. For some unexplained reason, he stored a lump of hate for himself inside – a little, but insurmountable. This lump grumbled in his ear “cheater, you are cheating on Jungwoo right now. You have loved him, love, and will be, and night with Jeno can’t change that”.

Jaemin brushes thoughts aside.

“And you are Jeno, right?” he continues a little more confidently.

“I'm sure you know my name”, Lee says softly, leaning towards him. “Jungwoo on the second floor with Taeil and Johnny, if you tried to found him”.

Jaemin had a lump in the throat. He just can’t rid of him. Na can’t remember even one day when people don’t remind him that he is Jungwoo’s boyfriend. Was. Ex- boyfriend now, of course. But their couple was so perfect that people can’t believe in possible broke up. But here they are.

Perfect couples like them always broken up. Jaemin knew that and waited. He thought that will be ready and that still hurt him. But he would cope and survive and if not then just would spend all nights crying out loud in the pillow and do wrote sad letters with apologies to Kim.

Although he had nothing to apologize for, it was not his feelings that burned out as suddenly as a fire in a fireplace.

“I’m not trying to find him”, Jaemin shakes his head. “I'm not looking for anyone at all. Maybe I already found”.

He’s trying flirting, so ridiculous and funny, but Jeno’s gaze said all: he astonished and appreciate the attempt. Lee laughs sweetly and take a sip from the glass. Looking like it’s cola with something.

“Jaemin, I’m not interested in taken people”, he said. “I do not blame, but that’s my rule. Principles. I know rumors about me and my image is… very special’, he continues, raising his eyebrow, “but it doesn’t mean, that I haven’t personal policy”.

Jaemin skips every policy when register somewhere and he definitely would skip it if he been Jeno right now. But he just nods, lowering his head down. Such a fool.

“I’m not with Jungwoo anymore”, he quietly remarks.

“Oh?”, that surprised Jeno even more and he quickly clapping long eyelashes. “That ambushed me. I’m sorry? Or I sympathize with you? Excuse me”, he silent for a moment. “What do I should say?”

Jaemin chuckles because of a puzzled look on the brunette's face and shakes his head.

“Relax, it is not a big deal”.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah”.

“But you didn’t come to me for nothing, am I right?” Jeno tilts his head. Jaemin shrugs without refuting and does not affirm too. Lee sighs and bites his lips in slight discontent. “You know what I will say, Jaemin?”

“Hm?” he muttered interestedly.

Jeno pats him on the shoulder.

“I don’t want to be a mistake that you will regret later”, he tells him, removing the hand. “But If you still would be interested in me at the next party then I'm all yours. Deal?”

Lee holds out his hand. This is literally a deal with the devil that Na gladly agrees to, clutching broad fingers the next second.

“Think carefully, if you really want this, Na Jaemin”, he said with a mysterious smile.

And then he dissolves in the crowd of their classmates. Rumors says fabulous heartthrob leaves the party alone for the first time.

¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø, ¸

The decision did not take much time. Mostly because he sees how quickly Jungwoo forgot about him: he’s long fingers bury in Lucas’ light hair and pulls them (just how Jaemin like it), and his mouth didn't leave plump lips another boy.

Now he wants to forget his ex and he also wants revenge, ‘you can and I also can to’. Terrible idea, but it seems like the only way.

Finding Jeno at the party is easy too. He chilling outside with guitar in one hand surrounded by fascinated boys and girls. Lee himself was barely interested in the audience. But he quickly drops the instrument when boy with soft smile and brown locks caught he’s eyes.

“Did you find me on purpose or by accident?” he screws up one's eyes with suspicious, get up and give guitar to guy near him.

“Guess”, it’s Jaemin this time, who smiles mysteriously, holding out his hand.

Jeno hesitates just for a second before grabbing his hand tightly. The very next couple of hours Jaemin has waited when he let his hand go and he has done it. Just for a second when Jeno sits down and ties his shoelaces in the middle of the room full of drunk teenagers like them.

And then he grabs his hand again, intertwining their fingers together.

“You thought it would be not like that, right?” Jeno smiles slyly.

Jaemin laughs.

He doesn’t want to hide anything with Jeno. Don't want to pretend to be someone. He wants to be like him: easy and open. Jeno was honest and didn't give false hopes. Jaemin doesn’t give it for himself too.

“Right”, he agrees in the end. “I thought it would be fast. The party, ‘at your or at mine’, cold bed in the morning. Isn't that what you usually do?”

Jeno snorts in annoyance and shook his head.

“If I would do it like this, no one wants to return in my bed, especially when all know how much people were there before”, he notes reasonably. “Oh wait. Maybe you still would wanted to”.

Jaemin bursts out laughing again and hits him on the shoulder. It was easy with Jeno, did he already say this to himself? Interesting, how many times?

Nothing happens between them this time and Na even glad about it. He understands that he was clearly not ready, and Jeno seems to know about it better than anyone else because he does not insist and does not rush. As if it’s he who needed to forget about the painful breakup.

They just fall asleep together in one of the rooms on the second floor. In an embrace, without thoughts. With the smell of someone else’s bed in the nose – unfamiliar for both of them - and quiet music in the background (Jaemin’s playlist for sleeping, but he, in truth, this time could fall asleep without it). With Jeno's arm around his shoulders. With a soft whisper in his ears.

“Jaemin, how can I make you stay?..” 

¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø, ¸

This happens at the fourth or fifth parties. A little ridiculous and awkward for both, but unforgettable, especially for Jaemin.

They kissed at the third party, because Jungwoo kept watched for Jaemin, and he wanted to make him jealous. Jeno was upset that this happened so… wrong? Na did not quite understand why it bothers him, in fact. But he felt guilty, so did not want to screw up during the next base.

“I can’t believe you did it for real”, breathless Jeno clings tightly to the corner of the sink one hand and another one holds his pants because it trying roll down on the wet floor of the bathroom.

“Hmm?” Jaemin innocently looks at him from below, wiping the corner of his mouth.

“Blow me in the bathroom in the middle of a party”, Jeno explains.

“You said yourself that you do not have a condom, what I had to do?”* Jaemin continues naively.

Dry moan breaks out from Jeno. He falls on the knees next to Jaemin and eagerly attacks his lips, clutching his face with one hand, leaning on the door behind him the other. And that’s how their first kiss has should be: shameless, wet with a note of possessiveness and, the main point, with desire. A guttural groan wrests from Jaemin and this drives Lee crazy.

They do it again. And twice more. And that still doesn't seem enough.

Jaemin wants more and he doesn't know exactly what: just Jeno or how he sincerely wants Jaemin?

¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø, ¸

Rumors about them are spreading fast. What was not surprising, actually, Jeno always was in the center of attention. And now he, sort of, was fixated at one person more than two months in a row. That’s a record.

Donghyuck kicks him under the table, making Jaemin turn back to him from Jeno. Lee was still too busy to take a look at Na now, surrounded by a basketball team.

“So, what’s between you two?” he asked.

Na takes a deep breath and shrugs.

Jaemin felt himself appropriate. Jaemin felt himself desired. Jaemin felt himself needed. He doesn’t know that he felt towards Jeno besides that. He never felt something like this, even with Jungwoo. With him everything was different and he doesn’t know that he likes more.

To be honest, Jungwoo no longer took a second of thoughts in his head. Now it every time was Jeno, because he not give him time to forget about him. Messaging in the morning if they didn’t wake up next to each other. Lovely “hi” in the corridors of the university every time their eyes met. Kisses under the stairs near the gym during a big break (they can’t pass it!). Leaving uni together and going home (no matter which one). Homework together, not just the university's works. Texting each other before sleep, if they not together that night.

This did not turn into a routine, but deep down Jemin dreamed that it would be so.

“I don’t know”, he said, looking down in notebook. “We... it’s just we”.

Donghyuck chokes on the air from dissatisfaction.

“Don’t let him broke your heart how it did Jungwoo”, he warns.

Jaemin looks up at him with a sad smile.

“I don’t think in this situation that it’s my heart will break, Hyuck”, he remarks.

“O?” Donghyuck’s mouth rounded, and he silently turns to Jeno, who smile lightly, and dreamily can’t take his eyes away from Jaemin.

¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø, ¸

Jaemin calculates pleats on Jeno’s t-shirt when he himself lazy laying on the bed pul full attention to the game.

“Jen?” started younger one, falling near, staring thoughtfully at the ceiling.

“Whaat?” without distraction, older one make a sound.

“Why you turned Renjun down when he tried to flirt with you?”

Jeno’s phone fell right on his face with a loud slap. Jaemin rushed to him immediately checking his nose and then laugh softly when he saw Jeno’s face full of pain.

“Because”, Lee hisses through his teeth, rolling down.

“I really wonder why”, brown-haired laughs. “He was a catch. A good one for you. Pretty, popular, smart, and definitely know what he wants”.

Jeno exhales into the pillow, and then rests on the elbow and lifting up, piercing look at Jaemin's face.

“Remember I had the rules?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Had. Jaemin pretends he not hear the past time and just nods.

“It was not because of Renjun” he continues. “I’m sure he is a cool guy”.

“Ugh, he’s my friend” Jaemin grimaces.

“Exactly!” Jeno clapping. “You see I never was interested in people in a relationship. And I also never slept with friends of my crushes”.

Jaemin’s eyelashes blankly claps, when Jeno gently squeezes his face in the palms.

“I met you, when you were with Jungwoo”.

Jaemin thinks that maybe with mentioning his name something inside would be shaken, like a string on a harp, but instead, it tore apart once and forever. Without feelings or even sound. jENO runs his thumbs over his cheeks.

“You rejected me and I understood. Steal cute boys also not my rule”

A moment of silence then Jaemin covers other's hands and puts them down on his knees.

“Then there were a lot of people. With someone was really fun, but nothing special. And you appeared again on the most unpredictable moment. Broken, wounded and confused. Should I have been used you in this state? Nah, I hadn't even think about it. I wanted you, but not in this way. I wanted you to be sincere with me. So I decided just to wait when you would be ready for someone new even If, in the end, it would have been not me. After all of it, after my thought about how to stay with you longer, how to make all moments together unforgettable, you just- broke every one of them”.

Jaemin chuckles sadly, remembering.

“Our first kiss happened because you wanted make Jungwoo jealous. Our first sex was in the middle of wet bathroom at the party. I wanted everything to be different”.

“But I’m happy how it was”, Jaemin protest.

Jeno shakes his head.

“I underestimated you and your frankness. I thought If I don’t take condoms, it will stop you, but-”

“I just did it”.

“Yeah”, Jeno agrees, starting to laugh. “You just did”.

Jaemin long staring at the male, trying to read sad face and then just give up, breath slowly.

“I never were open with someone”, he said sincerely. “I allowed myself this because you gave me the comfort I needed. The feeling of safety and security radiated from you made me… do everything I want without a thought”.

They stay silent for several minutes, looking at each other.

“Are you really glad how this all happened?” the elder one asks still in disbelief.

“And you doubt?” Na wonders. Brunette nods, pursing his lips. “Jeno-o-o-o”.

Jaemin laughs and pulls him into the kiss.

¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø, ¸

One year later Jeno stays with Jaemin as if that was their deal. As If they meant to be from the very beginning. Like they shouldn’t just be together for some joy hours of sex.

“Why did you stay?”

“I knew I would stay even when you haven't been mine”, silence. “Why did _you_ stay?”

“Because you became only mine”.

*it’s better to use condom even with oral sex.


End file.
